Raven's Caw
by Firemages96
Summary: Death and subsequent rebirth is hard to deal with, but death and subsequent rebirth as a raven... life just got a whole lot more complicated. (SI/OC)
1. Death and Subsequent Rebirth

**A/N: The idea of this story has been blocking any other form of writing or thoughts I've had for a while, and so I've finally decided to implement it. I don't think I've ever seen someone use this idea in the past, ever. As such I'm excited to see where this will go.**

 ***Note* A line represents a scene break**

 **I do not own Naruto, the series, the manga, the anime, whatever you wish to call it, but I do own my own ideas!**

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 ** _The Battle of Ypres, April 22, 1915_**

The Canadian military, a bleak occupation to be in during the great war as people have taken to call it. Fight for the country and die for the country, what did us Canadians do to get into this mess, fighting against the axis forces.

Anyways I was deployed as part of the two brigades to the front lines, a third brigade was deployed as a reserve near the nearby Ypres, the French had also set up their lines to our left. This leads me to where I am now, at the front lines, bored nothing to do other then well, staring up at the sky or attempting to talk to some of my squad mates. Yea…. not a hard decision, not at all.

"Jackal!" I think that's his name anyways.

As he opened his mouth to speak, chaos seemed to erupt, the sense of boredom went away in an instant. Shouts erupted from the left of our position, I looked over, the sight of such a scene will never leave me, at least not any time soon. A green-yellow gas cloud, that was kilometres long began to descend on the French lines. Many of the French soldiers ran, many were unlucky enough to be caught right in the middle of it. When the gas rolled over, reports and commands started to come in, bottom line the higher-ups were working hard to patch up the hole caused by the loss of the French troops.

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Not long after the gassing as many began to call it, I look around, I spotted a massive force of Germans advancing towards our position. From the sound of the yelling I wasn't the only one who did. It had begun, gunshots and explosions could be heard.

It could be clearly seen how outnumbered we were at the moment, and yet if we fell, the strategic position would be conquered and so we could not fall. I picked up my rifle, putting my training to use, I started firing, as did others, lead flying everywhere. As I crouched to reload my ammunition, a bullet hit someone directly to my right, he went down in a spray of blood. Blood covered my right side, I hope I'll be able to make it out of this, I continued to fire.

The battle raged on for what seemed like forever, in a similar fashion, pop up and take pot-shots at the invading forces. An explosive had found its way into our lines, I could see it in slow motion as it landed directly in front of me, it went off. The explosion sent me back as the metal fragments impale my body. Many of them hitting me directly in the chest. I laid there staring up at the sky, as my eyes began to close, I could see them, the ravens up in the sky, oh so free, waiting to feast on the dead. Then I knew no more….

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It was a strange sensation to be sure, one moment to feel the cold feel of an endless sleep and the next to be bathed in warmth in a dark place with walls caging you in. Your limbs hardly cooperating with what you wish them to do, the easiest to move seemed to be my head, and so I did what I instinctively thought was right, I slammed my head onto the walls. Eventually they gave way cracking, poking my head out, I looked around, noting I was on a hillside, and in front of me sat two midnight black…ravens?

I looked down, instead of seeing a human body, I saw that of a baby raven, I'm not ashamed to say I scream in terror, or well….cawed now that I think about it. Yep…life is about to get a whole lot more complicated.

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 **A/N: Comments? Questions? Advice? If you have any of them either pm me or leave them in the review section!**

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 **(Omake)**

 **A green-yellow gas cloud, that was kilometres long began to descend on the French lines. Literally gas, not the weaponised kind, the human kind but this may be even more deadly. I feel sorry for those poor sods caught up in it. Perhaps they might die of sensory overload…..gas truly is deadly.**


	2. The Beginning

**A/N: I'm grateful for your encouragement it only makes me more excited to continue this story! Here is the next chapter, enjoy!**

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 ***Note a line represents a scene break**

 **I don't own Naruto, I only own my own ideas!**

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Coming to terms with the fact you are no longer human, but an animal, a raven at that. To top that I get reborn as the last creature I saw before my death, a bloody common raven. At the very least ravens are supposed to be intelligent creatures, so there's that. Huh, maybe that's why I'm still capable of 'human' like thoughts.

It seems in this life I have plenty of siblings around 6 of em, which Is an odd experience for me, being an only child in my past life. Its been not too long since my rebirth. I'd reckon a weeks gone by, but I wouldn't be sure.

Typically, our father brings back food for us after his scavenge hunts, but today he hasn't seemed to return. I can see mother is nervous and worried, not really putting my worries to ease. This is the animal kingdom of course, there is always the prey and the predator. Huh, what eat ravens anyways, wouldn't know, never really cared enough to look into such information about ravens in my past life…seems to be biting me in the behind now. I really should've taken that class on ecology, would be tons helpful now.

My 'siblings' seemed to have found throwing sticks and then catching them whilst flying amusing…often times I get caught up in their shenanigans too. Honestly I'd prefer to stay in the huge eagle shaped shadow…..wait a second, eagle shaped?

Against my better judgement I looked up and lo and behold there surely was an eagle up there, I think this is where I'm supposed to hide. Eh, I don't think I have much time to do much anyways judging from the eagle sized shape rapidly descending towards us.

My 'siblings' seemed unaware, yet 'mother' seemed to notice the threat, in fact she flew off leaving us there. With no other better option, I took a leap of faith, extended my wings, I felt a strange boost making me fly faster, I thought nothing of it at the moment desperate to get away from the eagle. I hid in an outcrop of stone directly under our hillside nest, or former nest now that I think about it.

And so I waited until I deemed it safe enough to leave the tiny outcrop, I flew up to the destroyed nest, the sight wasn't pretty, all that awaited me was blood and feathers, the rest were gone, presumably eaten or killed.

The sight shook me up, they could've been me, and so I learned if I was to survive in the harsh lands I'd have to become stronger and wiser, otherwise I'd be as good as dead.

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I nibbled on seeds which I had managed to find, its been few days after the attack, as I've taken to calling it. Surviving wasn't easy, I kept moving, or flying, never settling down in one place for many reasons.

Luckily enough I hadn't spotted any thing that would like to eat me…like that eagle for one. Ever since the attack, I've noticed a weird energy inside me, if anything I'd describe it as a cold, very cold feeling, and yet it felt oddly fitting, like it was meant to b e there. I've been able to harness it to an extent, to enhance my muscles allowing for faster flying speeds. Whenever used in large amounts it leaves a black glow around my form.

Other then scavenging for food to survive playing with the energy been the only thing I've been able to do to occupy myself. So far I've been able to move it within me, but recently the idea of using the energy externally seems appealing. Never hurts to try right? And so I force the energy upwards from my stomach towards my mouth…wait no my beak. Opening my beak wide, I forced it past, it expelled from my beak in a black mist. Not that there was much of it, but I'd say that's because its my first try. As it the nearby flora, they began to rot, any living thing began to rot that is.

Heh, ravens were connected with death often in my old world, so I suppose this energy has a touch of death as well. But for now, I have to survive long enough to see if I can find a hint of human civilisation, to see where exactly I am. Because I'm pretty sure ravens in my past life couldn't breath out a fog of pure death.

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After what seemed like forever, I came across a small village, it looked like something straight out the feudal ages of Japan. Traditional houses with sliding doors and all, I landed on the rooftop of a building, I decided to get closer, to find a map, or anything that'll let me learn about my surroundings.

"Mooooom, can we go see the ninja passing through" I overheard a young civilian boy pleaded to his mother.

Ah those Japanese high school linguistic courses are actually coming in handy now, I was quite adept at it if I do say so myself. Wait….Ninja? Maybe I've been sent back in time to Japan during the feudal ages? A terrible feeling started to brew in the pit of my stomach.

"Ninja? Who told you there was Ninja passing through" the woman answered her son

"Mhmm, my friend, he said they even had the headbands with leaves and all!" the now excited boy spoke

My heart stalled for a nanosecond, headbands with leaves on them? I fly off, subconsciously enhancing my muscles to fly faster. There, I saw them they really were there headband and all. Just when I thought life was getting easier….well no helping it now I guess, I'm in the bloody world of that damned manga, ah right if your wondering the manga one day it just appeared, I swear it was the strangest thing!...It was full of killers, ninjas with strange and enthralling powers, now I seem to be in the manga...Yup, I'm definitely screwed

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 **A/N: Well that's a wrap, anyways have any Comments, Questions, or Advice, either PM me or leave them in the Review section!**


	3. War

**A/N: I appreciate all the encouragement, it really helps! Anyways, here's the next installment of Raven's Caw!**

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 ***Note a line represents a scene break**

 **I don't own Naruto, I only own my own ideas!**

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Its only been 3 days since I understood how royally screwed I am, I mean being reborn a raven is one thing but being reborn a raven in a world full of killers? I don't even know what time period I could have landed into for bloody sake, the only clue I have is the Leaf village is established. Now comes the dilemma, do I do something or attempt to fly into the woods never seen again. I mean I don't _have_ to do anything, right?

Damn, my guilty conscience, but hey at least I have a goal now, to save the world! Yea….bit vague aint it, perhaps I should narrow it down. Lets see, my final goal should be to bring peace to this war torn land. I've always hated war, and in this life that's no exception. The great war was responsible for many of the losses I've had to endure, hell I even became a casualty, just one of many, forever to be unrecognised and lost to the tides of time.

As I am now, I wouldn't be able to make any significant change, let alone bring peace to the world. On my list of priorities, the first thing to do is to figure out where I am in the story line and plan accordingly, then get stronger in order to accomplish my goals. I could be worrying for nought, you never know the fourth shinobi war could have theoretically taken place already. Heh, good thing I can fly then, it'll speed up the process.

I stretched my already impressive wing size for a raven my age and took flight, did you know ravens are great flyers, well if not they sure are. Speaking of which, I seem to be growing faster, then the norm I am not too far off from reaching the size of 'mother' and 'father', its only been a month give or take. I wonder if it has anything to do with the strange black energy. Which is most likely chakra, but I'm pretty sure chakra isn't supposed to be black. Maybe the effect of being an animal which are highly attuned to nature and senjutsu has something to do with it.

Perhaps the myths of ravens being connected to Death aren't that far off at all, I mean I've seen the chakra can literally rot living things, yet leave anything not alive untouched. Chakra is existent in all living things, ravens are often connected to death, and nature chakra or in other words senjutsu brings them together? These are all guesses anyways, but for now it's the best I can come up with, using all the information I've got. Eh, never know I suppose all answers will come in time, best not to speed things up….too much.

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As I flew I heard the odd cawing sounds, whilst I flew further and further, the sounds got louder. It wasn't simply the sounds of odd ravens and crows cawing, the sounds of war could clearly be heard. My 'brethren' hovering overtop the battle waiting for their chance to feast. Looking down I could only see odd shapes and odd outlines, and so I went closer.

The closer I got, the more I could make out, corpses strewn about, and of course a massive battle raging on. I could feel the deaths happening around me, not only see but also to be able to feel. The battle took place on what seemed like the border between, a dessert and a large open plain.

I can deduct, the battle would most likely be between the sand and the leaf village. If that were to be the case, then it certainly narrows the 'where' in the timeline. It could be the first, second or third ninja wars, but I wouldn't know for sure without and 'main' characters in the fray or other concrete evidence. However, looking closer, the ninja below weren't wearing older uniforms **(Naruto Gusty Ninja, on google images for reference)** but more recent ones like in the manga. Leaving the only possibility of the third ninja war. Seems war continues to be a prevalent theme in my life, no matter where I go. I knew as I was now I could not do anything, and so I took flight.

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Exploring a mystic reservoir of energy was much easier then I once thought, yet equally as hard. Breathing out a mist of pure death is but one of the things I can do, not to mention my rapidly increasing reservoir of energy as well. I've managed to gain some semblance of control of the energy, or more aptly my chakra. Figuring out the trick to augmenting my body with it wasn't hard at all, whilst in contrast trying to form chakra in a way where my mouth did not have to puke it out, was hard.

As I struggled over and over to find a way to manipulate it outside my body without my mouth being needed, I heard it, a distinct roar. Then I felt it, something sharp clipped my left wing, turning around I saw the creature, it was a bear. The bear towered above me, and better yet…..I can't fly with an injured wing. The bear swept at me without warning, I moved to the side as nimbly as well…a raven can.

 **Shi no Kiri! (Death Mist)** , I thought as I unleashed the technique upon the bear, with morbid fascination I watched it rot, however slowly the process was, eventually all that was left was bones.

I found a place to rest on the cliff side where it was safe enough to take of my wing, I patched it up the best I could, then I closed my eyes losing consciousness.

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 **A/N: Reviews? Comments? Questions? Suggestions? Got any, if so PM me or leave em' in the review section!**

 **(Omake)**

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 **As I struggled over and over to find a way to manipulate it outside my body without my mouth being needed, I heard it, a distinct roar. Then I felt it, something sharp clipped my left wing, turning around I saw the creature, it was a….rabbit?**

 _ **The poor raven who had come so far, was no more, he was crushed in the wide jaws of an odd rabbit. Quite unfortunate, no?**_


End file.
